Adopting the binary numeral system for everyday use in the future?

[szputnyik]

Just like most countries adopted the SI metric system for measurements, do you think the binary system could replace the decimal one for even everyday mathematical tasks in the future?

[drakesdoom]

No, for non computer use it is too clunky. Hell even for computer use it is too much hassle, that is why we have computer languages that we write in instead of binary.

[Holo]

Hexadecimal would be more likely. It basically just compresses blocks of four binary digits into a single digit.

e.g.

1011 1101 1011 1101 1111 1101 1011 = BDBDFDB

I'm also going to advocate dozenal, because 12 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12 rather than decimal's 2, 5 and 10.

[drakesdoom]

Hexadecimal would be more likely. It basically just compresses blocks of four binary digits into a single digit.

e.g.

1011 1101 1011 1101 1111 1101 1011 = BDBDFDB

I'm also going to advocate dozenal, because 12 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12 rather than decimal's 2, 5 and 10.

I would support either of these options over the current standard if and only if they make new symbols for the numbers over 10 so as not to be confused with the normal uses of letters.

[Headhunter09]

But SI is based on the decimal system...

Since a lot of calculations revolve around powers of ten (ones and zeroes have unique numerical properties), it seems like the decimal system is actually one of the things we did a good job on.

[Klingon Admiral]

The decimal system is a perfectly reasonable system for which I see not the slightest reason why to replace it.

[sjwt]

I would support either of these options over the current standard if and only if they make new symbols for the numbers over 10 so as not to be confused with the normal uses of letters.

You meen new symbols for the new digits between 9 and 10 right?

[jwenting]

The decimal system is a perfectly reasonable system for which I see not the slightest reason why to replace it.

but, but, but, it's OLD and THUS no good!

was signed, modern clueless kid.

[AngelLestat]

If some day I have more fingers, I would try another numeral system.

[FanaticalFighter]

I'd say the dozenal system is better. With binary, numbers go hard to write really soon.

[Nuke]

also when you start needing values between integers things get really weird. i use a lot of fixed point math in my embedded projects. just pick a number and say thats the ones place. addition and subtraction works as normal. but multiplies and divides require shifts to put numbers back into their original format. you often need to stick data in a larger type to keep from shifting parts (which would otherwise fit in your fixed point format) of your data into oblivion, especially on divides.

lets just use base 64 instead.

or we could just use base pi.

Edited March 2, 2014 by Nuke

[shynung]

The decimal system is a perfectly reasonable system for which I see not the slightest reason why to replace it.

I concur. Binary systems are far too complicated for use even on simple everyday mathwork, let alone complex calculations. The majority of computer programmers and scientists never use this systems for their entire life ever since the programming language were invented.

[Nuke]

the irony is that binary logic is stupid easy to design, it also has the added bonus that it takes up less space on the die, and that means better performance. theres a reason why nobody makes decimal computers anymore. the computer has to do the extra job of making all that binary data easy to read for the user, but the other side of it is you dont always need to see all the numbers in a calculation, so it has a rather negligible impact on performance (at least until you start having a gui and pretty fonts).

[Phafor]

Here is a video that explains base 12 and why it might be better then base 10 just wanted to share this with you guys.

[Holo]

I made a naming scheme for dozenal a few days ago. It goes as such:

1-9: As in decimal

á˜â€: Dek

ÆÂ: Lev

10: Dozen

15: Doz-five

1ÆÂ: Doz-lev

21: Twodoz-one

ÆÂ2: Levdoz-two

100: Gross

101: Gross-and-one

110: Gross-and-dozen

125: Gross-and-twodoz-five

ÆÂÆÂÆÂ: Levgross-and-levdoz-lev

1 000: Great

Æ ÆÂÆÂÆÂ: Levgreat-levgross-and-levdoz-lev

10 000: Dozen-great

100 000: Gross-great

ÆÂÆÂÆ ÆÂÆÂÆÂ: Levgross-and-levdoz-lev-great-levgross-and-levdoz-lev

Numbers are only named up to ÆÂÆÂÆ ÆÂÆÂÆ (=2 985 983 in decimal), but I'm sure if it was actually adopted that problem would be solved. The dozenal point is a semicolon, to provide a compromise between dots and commas.

[sojourner]

Most of that is a waste though. All of those "names" can stay the same as before. Just add new ones for the two new digits. I.E., nineteen, Dek-teen, Levteen, ninety,dekty, levty, nine hundred, dek hundred, lev hundred....

[Ravenchant]

Binary is ill suited for pretty much everything except electronics. Base 12 seem to have its merits, but trying to implement it- well, the world needed more than a century to agree upon the SI system. This would comparatively be a nightmare

[Holo]

Most of that is a waste though. All of those "names" can stay the same as before. Just add new ones for the two new digits. I.E., nineteen, Dek-teen, Levteen, ninety,dekty, levty, nine hundred, dek hundred, lev hundred....

By if you say something like fifty-five, it could get confusing if not otherwise stated.

[ZedNova]

Binary is ill suited for pretty much everything except electronics. Base 12 seem to have its merits, but trying to implement it- well, the world needed more than a century to agree upon the SI system. This would comparatively be a nightmare

Yeah, and with 300+ million people still stubbornly using the Imperial, i doubt we'd be able to implement a 12 base system.

[Nuke]

Yeah, and with 300+ million people still stubbornly using the Imperial, i doubt we'd be able to implement a 12 base system.

or people like me who use both systems somewhat interchangeably. though i wouldn't mind owning only one set of tools. i use metric exclusively when programming. for cooking im strictly imperial. when im designing electronics projects some stuff is measured in mils (thousandths of an inch, go figure), and some stuff in mm. its a total mess and i always have to convert back and fourth. when i build something i use imperial because thats how all the materials are sold here in the us. i dont even have a metric tape measure. i would have no problem switching over to pure si units if the rest of the usa wanted to.

ultimately it comes down to money, and thats why we haven't switched. i probibly have several hundred bucks invested in imperial tools, and probibly another hundred in kitchen gear. roadsigns would need to be converted, mileposts switched to km posts. a lot of documents would need to be changed, whole factories would need to be retooled, everything made for imperial would be instantly worthless. and the notion that america doesn't use metric is kind of a myth, it is legal to do so in official documents and im sure there is a whole plethora of engineers that do as well.

Edited March 2, 2014 by Nuke

[Seret]

do you think the binary system could replace the decimal one for even everyday mathematical tasks in the future?

No. Binary sucks for use by humans. Even slightly less unwieldy systems like BCD are still less pragmatic than decimal. Humans and machines do handle numbers differently, I don't see any advantage to making the humans use a system that's optimal only for machines. They're supposed to work for us, after all!

[Red Iron Crown]

Binary would let you count to 1023 on your fingers with easy arithmetic, IIRC there are a couple of cultures that count this way. Binary is fine for people to use if they're used to it.

There's no reason why we couldn't switch to another base other than cultural inertia. That cultural inertia is a big deal, though. We'd have to rework the metric system and most currencies if we switched to another numeric base, be it 2, 12 or any other number.

[drakesdoom]

I don't think roadsigns would need to be switched out right away. I may be wrong but in several European countries aren't the speed limit signs still in mph? Either way as long as the signs match the speedometers in cars they can be left no problem.

[Seret]

I may be wrong but in several European countries aren't the speed limit signs still in mph?

Just the UK as far as I'm aware. Most of the rest went metric before there were cars.

[Sillychris]

IT's not just cultural inertia that makes binary unwieldy for humans... we don't have binary brains and our language is very slow since we have to speak it.

Hey man, grab me a 110 pack of beer when you head out?

How many miles does your car have? Oh, just 11010110101001010101010110.

Decimal chunks information into groups that the human mind can easily grasp and use in language.

Same reason we don't say every letter in a sentence and chunk that information into more easily understood words, instead.

I can see the merits of switching to octal, base twelve or hexadecimal, but binary means nothing to a squishy, symbolic mind.